You’d probably cringe at the thought of a child going cold during winter simply because they do not have a warm coat. Imagine if that number exceeded 5,000!

In 2011, New York Cares collected and distributed nearly 77,000 coats. Unfortunately, this was only the tip of the iceberg compared to the unprecedented number of coat requests that we received and were not able to fulfill. Although 19,000 infants and children coats were collected and distributed, over 24,000 were requested. This means 5,000 infants and children went cold last year.

During the last two weeks, we’ve gotten a taste of the cold weather when the temperature dropped to the low 40s some mornings. Many just went to their closets and pulled out a warm coat to wear. But for thousands of families in New York, that was simply not an option.

On any given night, nearly 40% of individuals housed in shelters are children. Most of these children are young and outgrow their coats each year, which means they’ll need a new one soon. 

The Coat Drive kicks off on November 15th and runs through December 31st, but there are ways you can help right now. Sign up to help keep more than 5,000 children warm this winter by hosting your own collection site. You can also make a donation to help us cover the cost of the Coat Drive. 

Thank you for your support!

By Takisha Dozier